Kosho-ji Temple

Ippen, the founder of the Jishu sect of Buddhism, was surrounded and thwarted by the then Regent Tokimune's group not to enter the center of Kamakura. So, Ippen camped out around this site.

The transom of the temple gate bears a cross crest that singifies the Christian cross. This temple is said to have accepted secret Chritians during the difficult time of the Edo period when Christianity was banned.

The Goddess of Mercy, Yugyo-kannon stands in the precinct of Kosho-ji Temple

 

Joraku-ji Temple

Joraku-ji is situated between Kita-kamakura and Ofuna stations. It was built by Yasutoki, the third regent of the Hojo clan 1237 and belongs to Rinzai sect of Buddhism. The main gate of Joraku-ji The explanation of Joraku-ji
The main hall of Joraku-ji
Joraku-ji literally means a temple where people always feel comfortable.

 

KAMAKURA - Fact and Legend by Iso Mutsu

Here is a guide book of Kamakura written by a woman named Iso Mutsu(1867-1930). I was recommended to read this book by my adviser Johnny Buckle. Her precise depiction on Kamakura's temples and shrines is useful for me as a sightseeing tour guide in Kanakura.

Do you know anything about the author Iso Mutsu? If you are a Japanese, you may imagine this author was a member of Mutsu family.

Yes, she was. Then, why could she write such a detailed guide book of Kamakura in English? Was she a returnee from the USA or the UK?

No, she wasn't. She was a native speaker of English.
She got married to a son of Munemitsu Mutsu who was then the minister of foreign affairs. The son Hirokichi, while studying at Cambridge, fell in love with the landlord's daughter, Gertrude Ethel Passingham. There were many obstacles to their marriage, but they overcame the difficulties and finally got married in 1905. In 1910 she came to Japan for the second time and lived in Kamakura until her death.
In 1918 she wrote the classic guide 'Kamakura:Fact and Legend'.
She liked Japan and successfully apapted to this country, even giving English lessons to the members of the Imperial Family, among them Prince Chichibu, a brother of Showa Emperor.
After her death she was buried in the Mutsu family's yagura(cave-grave) in the Jufuku-ji Temple's graveyard.

Jufuku-ji Temple

Mutsu family's yagura(cave-grave)

 

My happy experience

I felt very happy when a foreigner whom I took care of sent me a letter with his compliment. What I did was nothing special. But I was very proud of what I had done to him.

Kakuon-ji Temple

Kakuon-ji Temple was founded by the 9th regent Sadatoki Hojo in 1296 with the hope that another Mongolian invasion wouldn't happen again. During the 8th regency of Tokimune, Mongol tried to invade Japan twice in 1274 & 1281 with failure.In the precinct there is

a sacred hall 'Yakushi-do' which the second regent Yoshitoki built, who got a message from God. I am sorry that I could't show the picture, because it was prohibited from taking pictures in the inner precinct.

A stupa in the front yard
On the surface of the bell there are English words being inscribed.

Let's go and read them.

 

Jokomyo-ji Temple

Jokomyo-ji Temple was built in 1251 by the 6th regent Nagatoki Hojo. It is a beautiful temple which belongs to Shingon-sect.

What is different from other temples is that there is a statue of Yang Guifei. Do you know who Yang Guifei is and why her statue is here?

Heirs apparent and regents of the Hojo clan

This is the list of sixteen regents of the Kamakura government. All of them were of the Hojo clan. R stands for regent and H stands for heir apparent. Tokiuji was the only heir apparent who didn't become a regent because he passed away before his father Yasutoki did.


R1.Tokimasa(1203-1205) H1R2.Yoshitoki (1205-1224)H2
R3.Yasutoki (1224-1242)H3 ****Joraku-ji---.Tokiuji - H4R4.Tsunetoki (1242-1246)H5 ***Komyo-jR5.Tokiyori (1246-1256)H6 *****Kencho-ji , Meigetsu-in R6.Nagatoki(1256-1264) *******Jokomyo-jiR7.Masamura (1264-1268)
R8.Tokimune (1268-1284)H7 ***Engaku-jiR9.Sadatoki (1284-1301)H8 *****Kakuon-jiR10.Morotoki (1301-1311) *******Jochi-jiR11.Munenobu(1311-1312)
R12.Hirotoki (1312-1315)
R13.Mototoki (1315-1316)
R14.Takatoki (1316-1326)H9R15.Sadaaki (11days)
R16.Moritoki(1326-1333)

The fall of Yoritomo and the rise of the Hojo clan

Yoritomo passed away in 1199 when he was 53 years old. It is said that he fell off a horse that triggered his death. But there are some other theories such as assassination. Anyway it is very strange that the cause of death of such an important person is obscure. Personally I doubt that Tokimasa Hojo plotted Yoritomo's death. His elder son Yoriie succeeded Yoritomo when he was 18.The young Shogun was an iconoclast and neglected Yoritomo's vassals. So, Tokimasa set up a council system of 13 vassals to stop Yoriie's autocracy three months after his succession to the shogunate. Kagetoki Kajiwara and Yoshikazu Hiki who were supporters of Yoriie among vassals were killed in 1200 and 1203 respectively and Yoshiie was detained in a monastery of Shuzen-ji Temple in Izu.In 1204 Yoriie was killed. After Yoshiie was ousted to Izu, Sanetomo who was the younger son of Yoritomo became Shogun at the age of 12. Finally Tokimasa became the first regent and assume control of the Kamakura government. There was another tragedy for Yoritomo family. In 1219 Sanetomo was assassinated by his nephew Kugyo who was Yoriie's son and Kugyo was killed soon after the assassination. At this moment Yoritomo lost all of his heirs apparent.
Yorotomo's grave is to the east of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.Kagetoki Kajiwara's grave is at a strange site. Get off an Ofuna monorail train at Shonan-Fukazawa station. Within five minutes' walk you will arrive at Fukazawa Elementary School. Ask a security guard to open the gate and you will know where it is if you ask him politely. It is at the back of a school building.
Yoshikazu Hiki and his family's memorial site is Myohon-ji Temple.

Yoritomo and Masako

Yoritomo Minamoto (at Genji-yama park)

The founder of the Kamakura government is Yoritomo(1147-1199). His family name is Minamoto. In Japan we call him Minamoto no Yoritomo, but I follow the western rule and call him Yoritomo Minamoto or simply Yoritomo. In the Nara era (710-794) and the early Heian era many of the Imperial family members were given family names such as Taira and Minamoto and became aristocrats. Yoritomo is the offspring of the 56th Emperor Seiwa.

Masako Hojo (at Anyo-in Temple)

When he was in exile to the Isu-peninsula under the surveilance of Tokimasa Hojo(1138-1215), a powerful family there, Yoritomo fell in love with Tokimasa's daughter Masako(1157-1225) and got married to her. Yoritomo had a half brother Yoshitsune whose saga is very famous in Japan. Yoshitsune defeated their rival Taira clan at the battle of Dannoura. With the help of Tokimasa, Yoritomo became the first Shogun in 1192 while Yoshitsune was plotted, exiled to the far north and finally killed.

 

SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL

When I walked around the north-west Kamakura area, I came across the scalpture of three monkeys. Where did I see it? It is my secret. But I will give you a hint. Walk around a Jodoshinshu temple in Kamakura, and you will find it.

It was between the temple and a shrine named Itsukushima Shrine. Which Jodoshinshu shrine? Don't worry. There is only one in Kamakura.

 

Bean-Throwing Ceremony at Kencho-ji Temple

Mamemaki On February 3, '11, I visited Kencho-ji Temple which has been designated as the first ranked zen temple among five prestigious zen temples in Kamakura. I went there to see the bean throwing ceremony-mamemaki. Before the ceremony I enjoyed watching kappore dance in the precinct of the temple. Dancers, men and women in their fifties or more, were dancing happily with the music of shamisen players. Shamisen is a three stringed Japanese musical instrument played with a pick. In the Edo period people enjoyed Kappore dance; kappore became very popular in the Meiji era. As it was announced, the bean throwing ceremony began around noon. Kencho-ji priests, Miss Kamakura beauties and men/women born in the Chinese zodiac year of a rabbit threw packages of beans to the crowds.

I was lucky enough to catch three packages.